Huang Zhong 黃忠
Huang Zhong 黃忠 noted for killing the Wei general, Xiahou Yuan, at Mt. Dingjun. Biography The Governor of Jing province Liu Biao appointed Huang Zhong as Gentleman of the Household and he defended You (攸) county in Changsha (長沙) commandery with Biao's nephew Liu Pan. In 208 A.D., Cao Cao annexed Jing province. Huang Zhong was given the temporary rank of Major-General and still retained his duties, this time under the command of Han Xuan. But after Cao Cao's forces were defeated at Chibi, Liu Bei began taking the various commanderies of southern Jing province; Huang Zhong decided to then follow Liu Bei. In 211 A.D. after accepting office in Jiameng (葭萌), Huang Zhong was dispatched to attack Liu Zhang in Yi province. Zhong was assigned to be the vanguard and bravely charged the enemy ranks. After Yi province was settled, he was promoted to General Who Exterminates Caitiffs for his efforts. In 219 A.D., Liu Bei attempted to seize Hanzhong from Cao Cao. Liu Bei's forces had established their base on Mt. Dingjun (定軍山) and the Wei forces, under the command of Xiahou Yuan, were to the east. Yuan's forces were elite, so Zhong thought pressuring their vanguard would entice the enemy to advance; and Zhong managed to lure Yuan's forces into the valley below Mt. Dingjun. The Wei forces had surrounded the mountain, Zhang He so the eastern side and Xiahou Yuan on the southern side. During the night, Liu Bei led his personal forces against Zhang He and set fire to the abatis protecting Xiahou Yuan's position. Zhang He's forces were struggling, so Xiahou Yuan split half his forces to assist him as the rest tried extinguishing the fires.SGZ: Biography of Zhang He. Huang Zhong beat the drums fiercely and stormed down the mountain into Xiahou Yuan's encirclement; and slew Xiahou Yuan. Huang Zhong was promoted to General Who Subdues the West. With Liu Bei securing Hanzhong, he was titled as King of Hanzhong. In commemoration, Huang Zhong was promoted to General of the Rear and ennobled as a Secondary Marquis.Guan Yu was quite upset by Huang Zhong being equally ranked with him, but as it shows to Guan Yu's character more than Huang Zhong's, I have not included it here. In the following year, Huang Zhong died. In 260 A.D., Huang Zhong was posthumously titled "Unyielding" (剛) Lord by Han-Shu Emperor Liu Shan.SGZ: Biography of Liu Shan. Family Sons * Huang Xu (黃敘) - Died prior to Huang Zhong's death. With no other sons, Huang Zhong's line ended upon his death. Fact vs Fiction Historically… *…Did not fight with Guan Yu when Liu Bei was seizing Jing province.Guan Yu was annoyed with Huang Zhong being equal ranked with himself. Had the two fought as suggested in the novel, Guan Yu would have respect for Huang Zhong and thus not make a fuss. *...There is no record of Huang Zhong's age or him being old.Although he was the first of the "Five Tigers" to die and it doesn't mention an illness, so perhaps he was older. *...Huang Zhong died in 220 A.D., so he did not participate in the Battle of Yiling. Notes Art gallery preview :Go to 'complete gallery''' Huang Zhong - Qing SGYY.jpg|Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' Huang Zhong - Qing ZQ-SGYY.jpg|''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' Zengxian quantu-edition References Sources Category:Shu-Han Category:Shu-Han Personages